


The Great Gideon

by writinghiei



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Great Gatsby, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-20 09:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3644850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writinghiei/pseuds/writinghiei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of the mysterious Gideon Gleeful, who blew into New York on an Eastern wind, and his love for Mabel Bensen - a tale of magical love and crushing tragedy set on the backdrop of the Jazz Age's glitter and prosperity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The following work is very pretentious, as it does its best to emulate F. Scott Fitzgerald's style.  
> Also, please check out my dear friend Erika's blog (billciphering.tumblr.com). She's my partner in the creation of this AU - I write and she brings it to life with her beautiful art! Happy (super late) birthday, Erika!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dipper arrives in New York.

When I was younger, my parents sent me north to live with my great uncle. At the time, I was devastated; I hated the thought of leaving my home in sunny California, even if it was only temporary. However, my move became permanent after I learned more about the town I was meant to summer in; I defied my parents wishes and stayed with my grunkle, who supported me fully. To this day, I feel like that shack in the woods is my only true home.

Thus, moving to New York during the summer of my twentieth year must seem peculiar to most people. In fact I wouldn't have moved at all if my twin sister hadn't 'phoned me about the strange things happening in Long Island, New York. But it is my life's work to study strange occurrences, so I packed my few belongings and moved to Long Island.

I found my temporary home in a place called Long Neck, which the locals referred to as West Egg. The village I moved to the edge of was mainly populated by sweeping, richly built mansions, though there were a few cottages like the one I inhabited peppered throughout the settlement. I traveled to Long Neck under the pretense that I was an investigative journalist who was tasked with writing about New York City's nasty gang problem. Upon arrival, I found a cottage owned by a soft-spoken man named McGucket who was around my grunkle's age and who was more than willing to rent out a room to me.

My first day in the East was fairly uneventful, though I did receive a 'phone call from my sister. How she found out where I would be staying so quickly, I still don't know.

"Dipper, you made it!" She crowed into my ear. "How are you?"

I chuckled. "Hi, Mabel. Other than being tired from sitting on a train for over twenty-four hours, I'm great! How are you?"

"Gay as ever," Mabel laughed. "I'm really excited to have you over. I haven't seen you in so long... And Gabe is really interested in meeting you. He's read some of your articles; he thinks you're awfully sharp!"

"Well, I just got here today, but I'd be more than happy to come over tomorrow evening!" "Oh, that would be just grand!" Mabel cheered. I heard a garbled voice in the background, followed by Mabel sighing. "Well, I must be off! See you tomorrow, Dipper." She disconnected before I could respond, which was unlike her. I chalked it up to her having a busy schedule and instead focused on getting ready for dinner. 

My first dinner in the East was pleasant, if small. My new housemate, who insisted early on in the meal that I call him Fiddleford, told me a lot about our neighbors. On the one side, there lived an older couple who planted flowers every spring and kept fruit trees and a vegetable garden. They were very friendly and brought pies over every once in a while, which they shared with Fiddlford over tea. 

The neighbor on the other side, the one whose yard connected to ours, was a young man named Gideon Gleeful who held loud parties during the summer. I recognized the name from home, which Fiddlford confirmed a moment later by telling me that the man had moved here from Oregon. Indeed, he was the same Gideon I had known from childhood, but Fiddleford's vague description of him, I couldn't say how much the East had changed him. A part of my mind told me to stay away from him, but the rest of me hoped we could be friend like we were when we were younger. 

Fiddleford broke my reverie by changing the subject. "I should warn you, Stanley," he began suddenly. "I don't know why I didn't mention it before. There's another man who lives here. He comes home late and sleeps for most of the morning though, so you will likely never see him, except possibly in passing. I just... wanted you to know." 

I nodded. "That's fine, I don't mind it at all. He'll take care of his business and I'll take care of mine. What's his name, if you don't mind me asking?" 

Fiddleford turned pink as he gulped awkwardly. "His name is Stan as well, actually," The old man laughed. "Pretty funny, huh?" 

I laughed with him. "That's amazing! In that case, why don't you just call me Dipper, Fiddleford? It's what my family calls me, and I don't mind if you do too." 

Fiddleford nodded. "That sounds like an excellent idea, Dipper." 

After dinner and insisting on helping Fiddleford with the dishes, I went to my new room. I changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed. I hadn't been joking when I told Mabel I was exhausted. As I prepared to crawl into bed, I could hear muffled pulsing music. I glanced out my window to see that the magnificent mansion that belonged to Gideon was lit up and swarming with people.  _It must be one of his ridiculous parties,_ I thought with a yawn. I decided that sometime I would have to see about attending one, should I be invited. My last thought as I slipped into sleep was how much I missed home.


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dipper attends an awkward dinner at Mabel's house, where he meets her asshole husband and bouncy best friend.

The next day was Saturday, so I slept late. I awoke to the sound of someone coughing loudly, a chair scraping across the kitchen floor. I dressed quickly, hoping to meet the other Stanley before he left the house. I finally tripped down the stairs with only a pair of slacks and a button up shirt on. I raced into the kitchen just in time to hear the front door slam. I frowned at the half-empty bowl of Shredded Krumbles and milk on the table. Fiddleford was still sitting in his chair, his face pulled into a scowl. He glanced up at the sound of my footsteps, his face softening into an almost-smile when he realized it was me. "Good morning, Dipper," he greeted me as he rose from his chair. I remained standing in the doorway to the kitchen as he gathered up the cereal bowl and all but threw it in the sink. I noticed that there was already a pristine bowl and a sparkling mug laying on a dishtowel next to the sink, presumably to dry. Fiddleford began vigorously scrubbing the bowl. He looked a little like he was attacking it with the sponge. "Did you sleep well?"

I had assumed Fiddleford was around the same age as my grunkle, but unlike my grunkle, who creaked and complained with every movement, my housemate moved robustly as he worked. It was an impressive sight. "Good morning to you too, Fiddleford. I slept fine considering I just moved here. Do you need any help?"

Fiddleford shook his head harshly, clearly still angry about something. "NO!" He snapped out and slapped his sponge against the bowl, sending a spray of soapy water into the air. He took a deep breath before repeating, "No, I... I've got this. Just... why don't you have a seat? We'll get you some breakfast in a moment." _  
_

His answer startled me a little, though as I flopped into the chair across from the sink, he seemed to relax. I glanced down and realized I had buttoned my shirt wrong. I easily fixed it while Fiddleford finished scouring the dishes.

Once Fiddleford had finished over cleaning the dishes, he pulled a clean bowl from the cupboard and handed it to me. "There's cereal in the cupboard and milk in the fridge. You can eat any of the food in this house, unless it's marked otherwise." He sat back down and took a swig from his mug. "If you need anything, just ask."

"Thanks, Fiddleford," I grinned and went to find some breakfast.

* * *

That evening I drove across the bay for the first time. Mabel lived in one of the shimmering white palaces of Sands Point, which was nicknamed East Egg to match my home of "West Egg". Her house was one of the most gigantic, as she was married to a famous children's puppeteer who was also the sole heir of some massive amount of money. The man was waiting for me at the edge of the perfectly trimmed green lawn.

Gabe called out to me as I neared his home, "Stanley Pines! Over here, my good man!" As I neared, I studied the man my sister had chosen to marry. He was a tall man, much taller than me. Blue eyes that proclaimed an icy distance from those around him were clearly visible beneath blond hair that had been precisely slicked back. His mouth was pulled into what was meant to be a pleasant smile, but I could only interpret it as a grimace. He wore a sharp black suit with a pink tie and clutched two hand puppets, a yellow bee and a purple book with eyes, in his hands. He had the air of a rich man, and I despised him immediately. "Hello, Stanley," Gabe greeted me when I drew up alongside him, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you, brother." He shook my hand with his bee puppet. "Let's go inside, the ladies are waiting."

I followed Mabel's husband into the house and down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway, a servant opened an ornate door for us. The room on the other side was filled with windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, all of which were open, allowing the thin white curtains to billow around the room. There were two sofas, one facing the door and the other facing away, and an armchair, all a powdery blue color. The sofas were adorned with white pillows trimmed in gold.

"Dipper, is that you?" My sister's voice floated from the sofa that faced away from the door. She sat up and grinned at me over the back of her seat. Mabel was still as strikingly beautiful as she was the last time I saw her three years ago: her warm brown eyes still sparkled, her short hair still fell around her face in natural, bouncy curls, her makeup-less skin still glowed, and she still had a brilliant smile that lit the whole room. I realized how much I had missed her when she rose to greet me properly, and I raced to wrap her in a tight hug. Mabel laughed as she wrapped her arms around my torso. "I missed you a lot, bro bro."

"I missed you too," I grumbled into her shoulder. I hadn't realized that my life hadn't been whole the past five years - until that moment. When Mabel finally pulled away, she felt the need to fuss over my vest and tie. Her lips flew upward into another smile upon noticing the pin I wore on my vest pocket. She had given the pine tree shaped pin to me for our birthday when we were really young, and I wore it nearly every day. The small emblem held nearly every one of our shared memories, and it always reminded Mabel of happy things.

Gabe cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with our display of affection. "I do believe it is time for dinner. Mabel, would you please wake up your friend."

"I'm already awake," a silky, alto voice murmured. Pale arms stretched above the sofa, and then a blonde woman slowly got to her feet. She floated around the sofa and looked me up and down. "So you're Mabel's twin brother. It's nice to meet you." She was awfully pretty, with her wavy dark blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes that were framed by thick lashes and ocean colored eye-shadow. Strangely, she didn't wear lipstick in the popular Cupid's bow shape, but rather left her lips their natural pink, a look that suited her. She wore a lake blue form-fitting dress with a sea foam caplet.

She offered me her slim hand. I took it and shook it, not surprised that her grip was firmer than mine. "I'm Pacifica. You're Dipper, right?"

I grinned, somehow pleased that she knew my preferred name, and I decided that I liked her already. "Yes, that's me!" Pacifica matched my smile, though up close I realized that her eyes held a dangerous edge. It was a little scary, but not enough to make me want to run for the hills.

Gabe clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Well, now that we've all been introduced, shall we get on to dinner?" Mabel's stomach growled in agreement, and that was that.

* * *

"So, Stanley, you're a journalist, correct?" Gabe stared me down from across the table as he asked yet another hostile question about my personal life. We were about halfway through dinner, and Gabe was proving my earlier impression that he was an awful person. I had absolutely no idea how Mabel had even met this guy, let alone fall for him. Then again, she  _did_ seem really happy, almost as happy as she had been back home. Maybe Gabe was only trying to seem impressive to me. _  
_

"Yeah, I'm researching gangsters in New York and whether or not they're hazardous enough to civilians that something needs to be done about them. And, please, call me Dipper."

"Wow, Stanley, that's quite a hefty task you've set yourself!" Gabe exclaimed, continuing to insist on calling me by my 'real name'. "Do you plan to interview any gangsters for this  _research_ of yours?" The word research slipped out of his mouth condescendingly, and it was clear to me that he didn't think my research was legitimate. I wouldn't let him get to me, though.

I smiled politely before I answered confidently, "Yes, I do, actually, along with civilians and police. I hope that this research will be pivotal in the way law enforcement is conducted in the future." This side project of mine wasn't even what I was truly there for, but at the time I was very proud of it all the same. As far as I was concerned, if Gabe didn't like what I did with my life, he could just leave me alone. Mabel, Pacifica, and I could just hang out at my house. I doubted Fiddleford would mind.

 "Well, Stanley, I'm sure that with your funds, it won't be too difficult." Was that a jab at my family's class? It definitely stung a little, but I wouldn't let him get to me.

"Yes, I'm sure I'll have no trouble at all." I held Gabe's steady gaze, silently willing him to make his next move.

However, Gabe didn't say anything else, and a moment of silence passed awkwardly. Mabel coughed delicately and murmured, "So, Dip, how has Grunkle Stan been?" I turned to her and found her looking back at me with a soft smile on her face. It took a moment for it to register with me that she was asking because she hadn't seen Stan in five years.

"Stan has been really well. He still complains about stuff, he's still a terrible cook, and he still listens to the radio too much. And, well, he misses you. He wishes you visited more."

Mabel bit her lip, guilt welling up in her eyes. "I'm so glad he's doing well. I worry about him a lot, especially since he's so prone to fighting people and getting into trouble with the law. I'm sorry for not visiting, though. I've been awfully busy lately. I really miss Grunkle Stan and I really missed you. I -" Mabel practically jumped out of her skin as the phone in the other room rang. Her breathing quickened slightly and her shoulders hunched.

Gabe set his napkin next to his plate and rose quickly. "If you will excuse me for a moment." He strolled out of the room calmly, contrasting the stress rolling off of Mabel. Her left leg jiggled anxiously as her breathing sped up even more. She was definitely agitated, but by the way Pacifica didn't seem to notice at all, I assumed that I was just feeling twin vibes.

I reached to touch Mabel shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but she slapped it away. She shot up from her seat like someone fast. "I need to go powder my nose." She practically galloped out of the room, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process. I nibbled at my thumbnail worriedly. Something was  _definitely_ not right. I turned to Pacifica and opened my mouth to ask her if she knew what was wrong with my sister, but the woman had her finger to her lips. She slipped around the table and leaned next to my ear.

"Don't say anything, just listen. Your sister is more okay than she seems." I nodded, unsure of what else to do. Pacifica and I listened to garbled chunks of what sounded like an argument. I continued to bite my nails with concern, wishing that I could protect my sister, but not knowing how, especially against a guy like Gabe. I could only hope that Mabel had remained the strong "alpha twin" she had been when she lived back home in Oregon.

"What are they arguing about?" I asked Pacifica during a lull in the shouting. Pacifica's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"What, you don't know?" She asked me incredulously. "You are Mabel's  _twin,_ right?"

"Yeah, but I haven't seen her in five years, Pacifica!"

"Oh." Pacifica's face relaxed. "Well, everyone here knows about it. Gabe has another woman. He's been seeing her for two, maybe three years now." A mixture of anger and disgust boiled inside of me. How  _dare_ Gabe cheat on my sister. How dare he go behind her back and betray her trust like that? And Mabel  _knew._ I felt like I was going to throw up.

"According to rumors," Pacifica continued, breaking me out of my sickened train of thought. "this woman lives in New York City, in some loveshack Gabe got her. But she's not even rich _or_  pretty, so I don't understand why he's sleeping with her. Especially when he's married to Mabel... Oh! They're coming back. Talk to ya later, Dipper." Before I could say anything else, she flitted back to her seat. Not a moment later, Gabe and Mabel entered the room, Mabel hanging on her husband's arm. She smiled brightly and falsely, but I still somehow knew that she hadn't been hurt - at least, not physically. She looked more embarrassed that anything.

"Well, sorry that took so long," Mabel said in what I recognized as the tone she used when she was cheating at poker. Mabel was a brilliant liar, but I knew her. Something was definitely up, other than Gabe's mysterious Other Woman.

I opened my mouth, intending to say something scathing to Gabe, something to the effect of 'get away from my sister' - it was hard enough as it was to not lunge across the table at the awful man - but instead I found myself saying goodbye to Mabel for the night. It honestly was getting late, and I needed to get home sometime.

But despite knowing that Mabel would be okay and knowing that there wasn't really much I could do to help her, I spent my entire car trip back to West Egg worrying and contemplating the sticky situation my sister was in. My train of thought continued as I walked down the beach to the cottage.  _If only there was some way for me to get Mabel -_

"Ow! Watch where you're going, kid!" The man I had just knocked over groaned from his spot on the ground.

"Oh, crud! I am so sorry." I offered my hand to the man, who took it as he pulled himself from the ground. I took his immediate dusting off of his pinstripe suit as an opportunity to study his features. He had rich, dark skin, and his fingernails were clean and filed so they were all round and professional looking. His hair was honey blond and covered partially by a black Trilby. When he looked up from his suit, I flinched in surprise. Golly, but the man was  _beautiful._ His right eye was covered by a medical eyepatch, but his left was a brilliant gold. His mouth was frowning at first, but then slid into a smile that was a little too wide, making his eye light up like the moon in October. The bridge of his nose and cheeks were speckled with silvery freckles that almost seemed to glow in the dim light. In all, he was very attractive. Aesthetically speaking, of course.

"You know," the man began. His voice was a little grating on my ears. It almost sounded metallic. "I'd be really angry that you did that to me. This suit is really expensive, and I have places to be that require expensive,  _clean_ suits. But it's not too dirty, and you're cute, so I'm not really upset." The man chuckled as though he had just shared a huge secret with me. "Well, Pine Tree, I must be off!" The man adjusted his hat and sauntered away before I could say anything else.

"What just happened?" I murmured to myself as I continued towards my house. Though after the night I'd had, this encounter with a strange, beautiful man was rather enjoyable.

As I opened the door to my house, the man's words sank in. He called me  _cute._


End file.
